Psykoedukation som intervention mod kroniske smerter ved fibromyalgi

Rikke Schultz, Sidsel Søndergaard Baastrup and Tia HansenPsykoedukation som intervention mod kroniske smerter ved fibromyalgi. (Psychoeducation as intervention against chronic pain by fibromyalgia). Chronic pains are an increasing problem to the health services and a strain on the quality of life to the people involved. Cognitive behavior therapy has a documented effect on chronic pains, but specifically cognitive behavior therapy methods have not been sufficiently empirically tested. We developed and tested a group-based intervention program, which was founded in the cognitive behavior therapy technique of psychoeducation aimed at the management of fibromyalgia pain. The article briefly offers an introduction to intervention and a summary of a quasi-experimental study of its effect, possibilities and limitations. 15 fibromyalgia diagnosed women of the ages 38-63 years participated in the study, distributed in a control and an intervention group. The intervention group received a treatment process of five sessions. Before, after and four weeks later the participants filled out the self-reporting scales Coping Strategies Questionnaire (CSQ), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and Short Form 36 Health Survey Questionnaire (SF-36). A few reports showed effect, which indicates that to some extent intervention can influence fibromyalgia patients' coping strategies in a purposeful way. Intervention is recommended to be adapted and tested in a larger group.